Find the right career for you

WE may have apps, sites and social media that were unheard of last century, but some of the challenges that faced 20th-century job seekers are still around.

“Making the right career choice . . . can be just as confusing now as in previous generations,” says Tracy Borland, a recruitment consultant at Suncoast Casino, Hotels and Entertainment.

In fact, she says, the process may be even harder now as the list of possible careers expands to include growth hackers, socialmedia influencers and app developers.

“Statistics also show that the average person changes jobs 10 to 15 times in a lifetime. That’s an average of 12 job changes in one’s full career, and that statistic is expected to grow according to the trends of generations Y and Z,” she says.

Borland has the following advice on how to choose a career:

Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses as well as your values and skills. Do not set your heart on being an engineer if maths is your worst subject, or a tour guide if you are not a people’s person;

Draw up a list of the careers you like, to simplify the process of choosing a career. Think about people you know, TV programmes and the things you wanted to do when you were a child; and

Set career goals. If you see running a busy restaurant as your ultimate job, you need to focus on that industry rather than wasting time in other places that are unlikely to lead you to your dream job. —

Margaret Harris